Gear and meat care questions

[Ocnandmtns]

A buddy and I are doing a Kotz drop caribou hunt this fall, end of Aug-early Sept. First caribou hunt for both of us. We keep seeing all different camping set ups from wooded areas to barren wet tundra so we have no idea where we'll end up. We're working through our gear prep/planning and have a few Qs...

Tent: I have a Seek Outside Courthouse (lightweight floorless wall tent, https://seekoutside.com/courthouse/) that we planned to use with cots to get us off the ground. We keep hearing about savage winds and rain. The Courthouse is a good tent but not the most wind resistant but it would be really nice for rainy days when we have to cook inside etc. Can anyone that's been there speak on whether this tent should be OK or if a wind resistant dome style is a safer bet. Also is floorless in a wet tundra asking for trouble?

2nd is on meat care and protecting it from predators.... We imagine getting one carbou and getting the meat back to camp then spending days hunting for the second one while leaving the meat unattended. We also hear of some people having bear and wolf encounters in camp. We're considering bringing an electric fence but prob best to use that around camp at night but not wise to hang meat within the fence close to camp. For those that have been did you leave meat unattended during the day? Any issues with predators and meat day or night? Did you even have trees to build a meat pole from?

Thanks in advance! Probably more Qs to come.

 

[mcseal2]

I gave my opinions here, did that hunt later in Sept last year. Good luck, I can’t wait to get back up there.

What I learned my first caribou hunt

Like I did after the moose hunt I wanted to put up a post about what I learned on my first caribou hunt. I got a lot of help from people here in preparing for both hunts and want to do my part to pass on what I learn. I do a review after each out of state hunt like this for myself anyway, to...

www.rokslide.com

 

[TSAMP]

I killed on day 2 and my buddy on day 7 or 8. It was covered with a tarp around 100 yards from camp and no predator issues. And we did see bears nearly every day, but as soon as they got wind of us it was a sprint the opposite direction. Camp probably had enough scent to keep them away. Don't over think it. You will be fine.

 

[realunlucky]

Here's my write up from kotz

One for Alaskan Bob

My first trip to Alaska was a long time coming having dreamed about going there since watching mutual of omaha on Saturday mornings as a kid. Always figured it was always off the table due to budget and never put much effort into researching actual costs or requirements. Four years ago I got a...

www.rokslide.com

 

[Tmac]

I’d want a floor in my tent. The ground will probably be wet and condensation will become a pain. I’d be prepared for wind too, it happens. In some places known for bad wind, some will set up a second small emergency tent to use in case of wind creating a main tent problem. There is no leaving during a bad storm, you are stuck.

As to meat, some transporters will come pick up meat, worth an ask. Where I hunted them, no trees. We laid quarters on top of bushes and covered with a tarp. Takes more tarp that way I think.

Read mcseal2’s thread, it’s good info.

 

[Ocnandmtns]

Good info, thanks everyone.

Mcseal, I did read your thread and listened to podcast a while ago when we started prepping- lots of good info, prob good to reread it now. Thanks

 

[chucko]

Okay for the last 20+ years I have kept my meat within 50ft of my tent . I try not to put meat in game bags unless there are bugs .I usually stack brush- lay meat on it then brush over the top with a tarp over that. Never had a problem (yet) .I have been on some hunts without seeing a bear and some where I saw many . I honestly believe the biggest problem I have seen is folks leaving bloody game bags on meat . Caribou are easy enough to carry with 2 people I even leave the backstraps attached to the backbone as well as the neck till the flyout day everything keeps so much better but I am a meat hunter and that is my trophy . I have found keeping meat close to your tent enables you to make a better scent trail around it and enhances your ability to protect it .

 

[Larry Bartlett]

I concur with Chucko. 30 yards max from the tent. Keep game meat clean and bags also as clean as possible. Poop and pee in your meat cache perimeter.

 

[OLE1021]

We flew out of Kotz. last year. I would def. have a floor in my tent, seems like everything was damp up there. we had a bear fence with no issues. more of a piece of mind at night to sleep better. We killed day 2 and day 4, keeping meat on bushes off the ground and tarped about 50 yards from camp. On day seven we had a griz downwind and working towards the meat, we shot over his head and he ran the other way out of sight.
The wind blew and rained everyday but we enjoyed every minute of the hunt. be physically prepared to cover ground, the tundra is no joke.

Have a great hunt, its an amazing place

 

[Ocnandmtns]

Great info everyone, thanks!

 

[Behlftball]

Good for you. I'd love to do this one day

Sent from my SM-A215U using Tapatalk

 

[mooster]

We found heavy brush alongside lake & streams when we flew out of Kotz. built a maybe 30" tall pole structure and hung/leaned the meat in bags from /against it. We went in mid-sept and it was plenty cool by then. carried a tyvek tarp to cover it from rain but we didn't get rained on when we had the meat. we kept the meat about 100 yds from our tipi. winds were amazingly strong on one day & night. luckily we had heard that could happen, so we had brought 10" twisted tent spikes.

 

[Slugz]

I concur with Chucko. 30 yards max from the tent. Keep game meat clean and bags also as clean as possible. Poop and pee in your meat cache perimeter.

Is it recommended then if able to bag the quarters, get it to camp, wash and dry the bags then rebag? If weather permits.

Im going up with a group of four and taking a electric fence for the meat stache.

 

[j3butch]

A buddy and I are doing a Kotz drop caribou hunt this fall, end of Aug-early Sept. First caribou hunt for both of us. We keep seeing all different camping set ups from wooded areas to barren wet tundra so we have no idea where we'll end up. We're working through our gear prep/planning and have a few Qs...

Tent: I have a Seek Outside Courthouse (lightweight floorless wall tent, https://seekoutside.com/courthouse/) that we planned to use with cots to get us off the ground. We keep hearing about savage winds and rain. The Courthouse is a good tent but not the most wind resistant but it would be really nice for rainy days when we have to cook inside etc. Can anyone that's been there speak on whether this tent should be OK or if a wind resistant dome style is a safer bet. Also is floorless in a wet tundra asking for trouble?

2nd is on meat care and protecting it from predators.... We imagine getting one carbou and getting the meat back to camp then spending days hunting for the second one while leaving the meat unattended. We also hear of some people having bear and wolf encounters in camp. We're considering bringing an electric fence but prob best to use that around camp at night but not wise to hang meat within the fence close to camp. For those that have been did you leave meat unattended during the day? Any issues with predators and meat day or night? Did you even have trees to build a meat pole from?

Thanks in advance! Probably more Qs to come.

I'm doing the same hunt same time this fall. If you want to compare notes hit me up. [email protected]